MCD’s worst drop since 1999 was 74%
McDonald's (MCD) fell 74% from Nov 1999 to Mar 2003. It took 7.1 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Dec 2006. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 486th deepest among the 986 stocks PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How MCD held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | MCD | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −62.7% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −21.3% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −36.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −17.2% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how MCD behaves inside your whole mix, with the worst 12 months, loss odds and crash replays. Free, no signup, and the math runs in your browser.
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What was MCD’s maximum drawdown?
MCD’s deepest fall since 1999 was 73.6%, from its high on November 12, 1999 to its low on March 12, 2003. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did MCD take to recover?
7.1 years. MCD first closed above its Nov 1999 high again on December 8, 2006.
Was MCD riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, MCD’s worst drop was 73.6% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −55.7% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, January 5, 1999 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.